Gas turbine engines have been extensively developed and find particular utility in aircraft propulsion. As performance and efficiency requirements become increasingly stringent, weight reduction becomes exceptionally important. Accordingly, many gas turbine engine components are desirably fabricated with hollow interiors.
Many techniques have been developed for the fabrication of these hollow components. Typical operations include machining, forging, casting, and bonding. These operations, among others, are found in various combinations in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,623,204; 3,628,226; 4,089,456; 4,364,160; and 4,642,863, which are incorporated herein by reference.
These fabrication processes all involve complex machining operations (invariably on all sides of preforms), a multiplicity of components, numerous operations, and/or complex tooling. All of these factors increase fabrication time and cost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to fabricate hollow airfoils using simplified machining concepts and simple bond tooling while assuring that the finished article will have the required configuration.
This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made clear through reference to the following description of the preferred embodiments, figures, and claims.